Illuminated toy vehicle



June 3, 1952 A. D. STARR 2,599,203

ILLUMINATED TOY VEHICLE Filed Feb. 21, 1949 wow? 1 14% Patented June 3,1952 UNITED STATES PATENT O'FFICE.

ILLUMINATED TOY VEHICLE Allan n. Starr, Carlinville, 111. ApplicationFebruary 21, 1949, Serial No. 77,572 7 l- Clain'i.

The present invention relates to a childs toy and, more particularly, itrelates to an electri-' cally illuminated toy of the type which may bepulled along the fioor by means of a pull cord.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a durable andinexpensive toy suitable for children between the ages of one and fiveyears embodying lasting attraction and fascination.

Another object of the invention is to provide a newand improved childspull toy embodying a novel electric dry-cell lighting circuit as anilluminating source within the toy.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedelectrically illuminated childs pull toy which will become illuminatedonly when the toy is being pulled along a surface by its pull cord.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toy, showing its outward appearance;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevational view partly broken away to show theinterior of the toy, particularly the dry-cell lighting unit forming apart of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a front sectional view taken along the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the dry-cell lighting unit within the bodyof the toy;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side plan view of a portion of the dry-celllighting unit to more clearly illustrate the spring-switch contactingmeans for completing the electric circuit;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal elevational view similar to that of Fig. 5 butshowing certain modifications in the construction of the dry celllighting unit structure; and

Fig. 7 is illustrative of the manner in which the dry-cell lighting unitof Fig. 2 is adaptable to a toy automobile.

' With reference to Fig. l of the drawing, there is shown a childs pulltoy comprising a hollow rectangular body I0 having its forward bottomedge rounded or sledded and having a pull cord 12 extending from agrommeted aperture I4 centrally located in the forward end of the body,said pull cord being secured within the body of the toy as will behereafter more fully described.

The body of the toy may be constructed of cardboard, plywood, plastic,sheet metal or any other suitable material which is impervious to light.The top, ends and sides of the toy body are provided with the openingsof Figures 16, 18 and 20. These openings may take any'approved 2 design,such as stars, hearts, crescents, or the outline of airplanes, ships andthelike. The possibilities in this respect are unlimited. Varicoloredconfigurations of openings are attained by lining the openings on theinside of the toy with transparent paper, film or the like of suitablecolors as indicated at 2 I.

The body to has a lid 22 hinged to the front end portion 24 such that itmay be lifted to provide access to the interior of the body. In itsclosed position, the hinged top 22 is secured by a snap hook or othersuitable fastener 25 between the top and the back end of the body.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing, there are shownvarious views of the novel dry-cell lighting unit embodied by andforming a part of the present invention. The lighting unit comprisesessentially a metal base plate 30; forward, intermediate and rearwardlydisposed dry-cell holding and contacting means 32, 34 and 36; aforwardly disposed flexible switch or contacting blade 38, an electriclight bulb 40 and an electric dry-cell 42. A pull cord I2 is seen aspassing through the aperture I4 from the outside of the toy body to theinterior thereof, leading around and through an eye 44 and having itsend secured to the top of the switch blade 38 at 31.

The base plate 30 is provided with forwardly and rearwardly locatedtangs 33 as a means for positively securing the base plat to the bottomof the interior of the toy body in the manner illustrated.

The base plate 30 is further provided with centrally located clips 34and 35 positioned to receive and hold the dry-cell 42 in a fixedposition on the base plate 30.. While the manner in which the dry-cellis secured to the base plate is merely a matter of detail inconstruction, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show a simple and effective structurewherein a rearwardly holding and contacting blade 36 has been stampedout of the sheet metal of the base plate and bent upwards thereto in themanner shown. Likewise, the two forward stub fingers 32, 32 have beenstamped out of the sheet metal of the base plate and bent upwardly atright angles thereto to provide forward abutments, the distance betweenthe holding stubs 32, 32 and the rear contacting blade 36 being such asto closely accommodate the dry-cell 42; positive longitudinal holding ofthe dry-cell against the forward abutment stubs 32, 32 being effected bythe spring clip action of the rear contacting blade 36 which is seen toproject upwardly from the base plate 30 and in contact with the rear 3transverse vertical terminal surface of the drycell.

Transverse positioning and anchoring of the dry-cell 42 with respect tothe base plate is accomplished by the intermediate metal clips 34 and35. As shown in the drawing, these clips are arced to conform with theperimeter of the cylindrical dry-cell 42. The left-hand clip 34 is arcedupwardly a. distance such as to terminate at a point on .top ofz thedry-cell above the longitudi nal axis and" is provided with averticallyand transversely disposed eye 44 at its upper end.

The left-hand clip likewise extends up.-

Wardly from the base plate following the pa -P riphery of the dry-cellcylindrical surface but only to a point slightly above theprojectedlongia.

tudinal axis of said dry-cell, cylinder, whereby there is an adequatedistance between the ends of the right and left-hand clips to permitin:- sertion and removal of the;dry-cel1.

While- I; have il ustrated. nd es ibed a. 21 7ferrsctmeanstonnosibioninsandlholdinsq he-drr cell-ton the..-basen a e;t shsmld er s ze hat atvarietr herne h ps qua 1x ui able m ansmay-beemplored: and tisncit nte de hat h Dn sen....1nv nt 0 -hs mi d l ohe; stru tu e n means illustrated. For; instance, other-standard;sizesandishanes ec ric; rr- 1s2masi e i which; would; ne ssi a e: mdific tiqnsi n: he anchoring.- s ru tu e, n; hi onnection, t. imintediout that. all-par d the pr s ntt v ns ticn;partict larlr her ishw-unit truq urerhe sl been designed; to. end: hemse ves o im ici y and;economyn manufacture and; it 2 1m nlateslz hatzthehas mate:mills: tans3.

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with. on t d nal ax s; f. the r-s l i spr ngtime-hasa o om;fia ser rniwl i h is riveted, welded or otherwise positively attached. tQ='he..bassin af 0;-. h wi ch ade-3i= s-r; vided; with SQIYQWI sock t- 6 nr-m basen iatez nd ts; peroda e te. slinsh; queh the; blade. for rece vn t e screw h ll; e minal. of alight bulb 40. The bulb is of the-standard; flash ightyp l u tra ed. hen; the. bu

alo ith e b h wil nm r t thmus t ba k. s de: Q the; sw c de-1 s c -bl es. s. fnntheepmvidediat;mangerendlwithla ma l re it. icatesletfil.

To; make: he; toy ne ativel n nd. f the-12. 1; comm-is: attach dame nst. ndaq t e- 'tch blade: 38:; at. 31am; e ack: hli r eh; hev trans-everse eyeM. and; hen: or rd ush he sham me d-apertur W 111 119 qnh n f:the 9% bodyto t e. ex erior tb i Q.f:- Them- 9rd: .21 mar-be ofsanr uia-h e en th. t acil tat the; miningof: the my bitwhi s- In1Fis- 2; the:n l. co s; sh a e n rmallyslack. unde w ich nd ion he; Switchb ad 3.will be norma lypara l l th the mard ac t of the dry-cell fi2 a ndspaced. therefrom; to holdtl e'cen ter terminal: of the bells: 4.8; qntf. contact with the center positive terrmnal of th .d .11 cell.

As illustrated in, Fig. 4; when a forward pull is ia sthe t applied tothe external free end of the pull cord, the cord will become taut andthe pull transferred through the cord to the switch blade 38 which willbe flexed or distorted to bring the center terminal of the bulb 4|] intocontact with the center terminal of the dry-cell, whereby the lightcircuit will be completed and the toy body thereafter motivated along asurface in the direction of pull.

As can be understood from the foregoing desoriptionofrtheassociatiqn qfthq base plate 30, the rear holdingbladet36, the forward switch blade38, the bulb socket 46 and the bulb 40, constitute a simple lightingcircuit for the lighting otthebulb MLwhen its center terminal is broughtinto electrical contact with the center positive terminal v of; thedry-cell. As will be hereafter more clearly pointed out, it is importantto the proper'function of the spring switch blade 38 that it be magle ofspring steel or other conducting metal alloy having suff cientelasticity that the blade twillnot become permanentlvdistorted, butwillalw s r turn m h mal ysriicaland Ql i of; contactpos ion withrespect. to. the. dry-cell; when.tension on the .pull cord IZ isreleased' Fig, 5,. f; he, aw cl ar l ustrates, the, switch h r es mc uren. tslncrm l n dist r e g g ir q l l hw b ur he eQsniz@d het. p oper. untion o thelightins un tre res het aw esi t n the exible witc 'ps blade.38 .b e. slightly less. than the. frictional resistanse l h W.- t aiISRIQ WQI'Q -PHH alon a. surface, such thatwhena pull is applied' totheQord [2, the immedi t efiectwillbe the actuatnex fi i l h l lifi qlosehe ight n irciiit,v llcwi s hich he or. w l. b -{ms ivated in. theldirection o-fpulL Fig. 6 of the drawing illustrates a sirnplnjedmodification in. thelighting unit str rcturewheremine r s i mn v selvhedin'lpla sli nfibs. base plate by an upwalidly-open. metal. Q-shaped; pin c1 12 we e r herw se mcun ed f the base plate. At the forward. endor; the base P a here is i id. u b-ba din rac et. i2v h ving, a o t. 46.or; r c ivin he i'shthulh P hat-the cen er.- t m al, o the irr ell. willabut the rearwardly protruding. center; termi al f e ht. ulb. to e ect lfirica 9. tact and to provide a forward abutment for'flxged 9nsi s iialv p si io ing of th drye 1,, c' b rear of the dry-cell, 42i is,a,spring switchblagie,

As sh n n F 6 t ns on pli d/ a e, nu l cord will distort. org'flex theswitch bIQQBQFIA; contact with the rear surface of the. drv-celh he e yompletin the e t r i itand z cau ingthehghtbum 411. toh m V Rel sin he.en SiQB Q11 he 12 1 r h s n actio Q j hs switch; blade, 54 w l au e; tte u n c ts no mal r ara lel. a d. ou of con ct nqs tipn with espects; herear erminal;- r a e. f, he. 1.1m c ll; he ir it ll'be. roken a d he i hhu k will go ont he essential ifier li ebe w e r hem i htins, ni cgnstmtions that n hefir td scr bei t u ture... the w t h bl de i nt f t e rcell and; is, distorted. to, bring the. bulb- 40 co ta t. wi h h dr .ete inal' y: m an of the indir c l a hs pu l. o .1. whi1e;in the.

simplified modification, shown in Fig. 6, the bulb holding bracket 52 isrigid and the circuit closing means is the switch blade 54 to the rearof the dry-cell and is distorted into contact therewith by a direct pullon the pull cord.

From the standpoint of economy in manufacture, this latter modificationis perhaps to be preferred, it being understood, however, that bothconstructions obtain the same results in substantially the same way.

Fig. 7 of the drawing illustrates the manner in which the lighting unitof Figs. 2, 3 and 4 may be adapted for use in other types of childrenspull toys, such as toy automobiles, airplanes, boats, etc., toilluminate such toys and whereby the electric illuminating means willfunction automatically when the toy is pulled by means of a pull cord.In this instance, the openings in the body of the toy are limited to twocircular light emitting apertures 56 in the front of the toy to simulateautomobile head lights when the toy is being pulled.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that the present invention isdirected toward a new and novel toy particularly suitable for youngchildren between the ages of one and five years, the novelty of whichresides in the fact that the invention provides a mechanically simplemeans whereby inexpensive childrens pull toys of the types described areelectrically illuminated by a dry-cell light circuit and wherein suchlighting is entirely and automatically controlled by the child and madeoperative when the toy is being pulled along the floor or other surfaceand wherein the lighting circuit will be automatically renderednon-operative when the toy is not being pulled, thereby assuring maximumlife to the dry-cell of the lighting circuit. Further, the novelty ofhaving a toy which lights up only when the toy is being pulled isinstructive and of lasting fascination and pleasure from the standpointof a child.

The present invention has another desirable advantage in that it may bemanufactured and sold at a very low cost, a most important considerationin the commerical marketing of any childs toy.

The particular embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing are tobe considered as illustrative only, it being understood that the samemay be varied, within the scope of the appended claim, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A toy automobile comprising a hollow body, wheels attached to said bodyto support the same upon a surface, a headlight lamp for said automobileand a battery cell mounted inside of said hollow body, and means forclosing a circuit between said lamp and cell, said means including acord by which said toy may be pulled, a resilient switch membersupporting said lamp in said body, said cord attached to said switchmember and extending outwardly from said body through an opening thereinwhereby when the end of said cord is pulled said switch member will beflexed to close said circuit to light said headlight lamp.

ALLAN D. STARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 876,739 Siever et al Jan. 14,1908 1,410,774 Swanson Mar. 28, 1922 1,967,524 Allen July 24, 19342,201,588 Kuhns May 21, 1940 2,451,801 Buchmann Oct. 19, 1948 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 439,340 Germany May 16, 1926

